Sheet handling mechanism



1934- G. c. KIMBALL SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 20, 1932 5 Sheets-Slieet 1 1901991502": 650/665 COOK MMBHLL,

Feb. 6, 1934. G. c. KIMBALL SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 20. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 #1 mg .I

[men/Z 02".- 650E615 COOK K/MBflLL Feb. 6, 1934.

G. C. KIMBALL SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 20, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 550E677: COOK MMEA LL Zak M Patented Feb. 6, 1934 I 7 1,945,905 SHEEIHA DLING MECHANISM.

George Cook Kimball, Pittsburgh, 2a., assignor to American Sheet and Tin Platecom'pa'nma cob poration of New; Jersey Application May 20, 1932. SerialNo. 612,563

scams. (o1, fail- 86) This invention relates to sheet handling mechanism; and more particularly to mechanism for receiving polishedtin plate discharged from branners and the like, andfhas for its object the provision of. an improved turntable for receiving piles of tin plate from a multiple branner and the provision of. a novelsheet or platecatching apparatus for temporarily storing the sheets or plates discharged from the br'anner while the table isbeing 1Q turned so that the branner may operate continuously.

Heretofore branners have generally been constructed to clean and polish a single row of tin plate, and relatively small turntables have been used on which a'single pile of tin plate was formed on each side of their transverse centers, the table being rotated after one pile was completed so as to present the empty side of the table to the branner. and the branner being stopped while 2o the table was, being turned.

Multiple branners have been developed and are now in use in which two, three and even morev rows of sheets may be simultaneously fed throu h. t e b a ner for ean and o in and it has, therefore, become necessary to provide turntables of multiple width or other means adapted to receive the tin plates discharged from he, mult pl w passing thr u h e mann r Due to the capacity of the multiple branners nd t e mul et n, ot an t e c a s in the ra st pi of the. mec an sm hi e he P l s: 0 lat are be n E 3.9 resu t in a t rial. c e i pros cti ni The present invention provides a means whereby the branners, tin pots and other mechanism may be continuously operated while the turn le are being ed o r s n n n eaded. side to the branners.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation through a sheet handling mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention. "Figure 2 is aplan thereof, with the basket or platform removed for clearness.

Figure 3'is a plan showing the basket or platform in its loaded position, and 'with'the' turntable removed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail through a turntable operating mechanism.

5 0 Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view on the line VV of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates the branner as a whole, which is of standard construction and is provided ,QQ with the usual curved exit or discharge rolls B.

The turntable, which islocated adjacent the dis cha'rgeen'd'of the 'branner'A, is'c'omposed of a platform 'compose'do'f spaced plates2 and 3"wh'ich are held inf'spaced relation by spacer'blocks 4'. The platform issupportd' on casters'5 at its four '60 cornersanq is pivotally mounted" at its center by a pin 6 which extends through -a suitable heating block '7 inthe' platform mounted in an antifrictionbearing 8 carried'by a fluid pressure cylinder'9. i

The top plate 2 is provided with a plurality of slots 10 to receive the'ad'jus'table guides 11 which are adapted? to "be adjustedinfvarious positions to guide the plates as they are piled on theplat form. Suitable guides 12 are rigidly" attached to the branner to properly adjust'the rear edge of the pilefbf plates as'they are'discharg'ed onto the turntable from the-brann'er."

The fluid pressure cylinder 9 is mounted for reciprocatingfmoven ient' in'a guideway iron the floorfand' is provided" with a piston 15 mounted on a tubular rod 16 which extends rearwardly through a stufiirig box 17 and isanchored to a fixed' support 18,- A conduit" 19 surrounds the tubularpiston rod lG'and extends into the cylin- 60 defj Q' through the st'ufilng boxl'l'an'd has its forward endmouritedin the'piston 15. A port 20' is provided in the conduit 19" which discharges into'the'chamber portion' of the cylinder "9 to the rear: of the piston 15'? The conduit 19 is provided with a coupli g'end 21 at'wh'ich a suitable source of fluid pressure is attached and the tubular piston rod 16 is provided with a coupling portipn 'zz; also to which'asource of fluid pressure may be attached. 'It will be understood,- of coursefithat thjejfluidpressure admitted to the tubular piston rod '16 and "the conduit 19 will be admitted through suitable valves so that the fluid pressure will be admitted through the rod'or 'c'c'mduit at n time a d i ch r ed a a et 96 The" table" platform is provided with socket blocks 41" adjacent" its back and front edges to receive a bar 4 0 for turningtlietable. A swing ingba'sketor platform Bis provided on the discharge rid of .the 'br'anner for'receivin'gand stor-' 100 ing tinplat e discharged from the branner during the time the turntable is being turned to presentthe "empty side to "the bran'neri The basket or platform P is composed of a series of flat bar slats 25 which are secured in spaced relation by transverse bars 26 which have their ends turned up to form ears 27.

Supporting rods 28 have their lower ends pivotally connected to the ears 27 and have their upper ends secured to a shaft 29 which is journaled in suitable bearings in supporting brackets 30 carried by the forward end of the branner A. A counterweight 31 is mounted on a lever 32 secured to the shaft 29 and is of such weight as to normally counterbalance the basket or platform P. A hand lever 33 is secured to the shaft 29 and is adapted to be operated to swing the basket or platform P into or out of plate receiving position. Suitable latch bars 35 are mounted on the rear supporting rods 28 and are provided with notches 36 and. 37 which are adapted to cooperate with latch lugs 38 to hold the basket or platform in its extreme positions. The latch bars 35 are normally biased toward the latch lugs 28 by springs 39.

After the piles of tin plate have been formed on the side of the transverse center line of the turntable next to the branner the basket or platform P will be lowered into plate receiving position and the cleaned and polished tin plate will be discharged onto the basket orplatform P while the turntable is rotated to present its empty side to the branner A. In order to turn the turntable,

of: the entire table with the piles of tin plate on it is moved away from the branner by admitting fluid pressure through the conduit 19 and into the space to the rear'of the piston 15, which fluid pressure will cause the cylinder 9 to move rarearwardly relative to the piston 15 and, due to the pivotal connection between the platform of the turntable and the cylinder 9, the table will move rearwardly away from the branner A with the cylinder 9. After the table has been moved (j) away from the branner A the distance of the stroke of the cylinder 9, a suitable bar 40 may be inserted in the sockets of blocks 41 provided on the turntable platform and the table may be readily rotated to present the empty side to the branner.

-After the turntable has been rotated fluid pressure will be admitted through the hollow piston the basket and place then on one of the piles already formed or being formed on the turntable.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limitedthereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a sheet delivery apparatus of a turntable for receiving the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus, said table comprising a wheeled plate supporting platform, means for guiding sheets onto said platform, a fluid pressure operating cylinder for moving said platform toward and away from said delivery apparatus to permit rotation of said platform and a pivotal connection between said table and said cylinder.

2. The combination with a sheet delivery apparatus of a turntable for receiving the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus at points on each side of its transverse center line, means for guiding sheets onto saidturniable, said table receiving the sheets on one side of its transverse center line until a pile is formed and then being rotated about its central axis for 180 degrees to receive the sheets on the other side of its transverse center line and means carried by said delivery apparatus for receiving and. storing the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus while said table is being rotated.

3. The combination with a sheet delivery apparatus of'a turntable for receiving the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus at points on each side of its transverse center line until a pile is formed and then being rotated about its central axis for 180 degrees to receive the sheets on the other side of its transverse center line and a swinging platform mounted on said deliver; apparatus for receiving and storing the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus while said table is being rotated, means for guiding said sheets onto said turntable, means for normally biasing said platform out of sheet receiving position and means for swinging said platform into sheet receiving position.

4. The combination with a sheet delivery apparatus of a turntable for receiving the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus at points on each side of its transverse center line, means for guiding said sheets onto said turntable, said table receiving the sheets on one side of its transverse center line until a pile is formed and then being rotated about its central axis for 180 degrees to receive the sheets on the other side of its transverse center line and a swinging platform mounted on said delivery apparatus for receiving and storing the sheets discharged from said de livery apparatus while said table is being rotated,v means for normally biasing said platform out of sheet receiving position, means for swinging said platform into sheet receiving position and latch means for holding said platform in either extreme position. 7

5. The combination with a sheet delivery ap-' paratus of a turntable for receiving the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus at points on each side of its transverse center line, said table receiving the sheets on one side of its transverse center line until a pile is formed and then being rotated about its central axis for 180 degrees to receive the sheets on the other side of its transverse center line and a swinging platform mounted on said delivery apparatus for receiving and storing the sheets discharged from said delivery apparatus while said table, is being rotated, counterweight means for normally biasing said platform out of sheet receiving position and means for swinging said platform into sheet re- 

